Vince,
I don't know where you are in Minnesota and what size bags of KASL you are looking for, but if you are looking for the small (3-lb.) bags, then your only viable option is to buy them directly from King Arthur in Vermont. However, if you are interested in the 50-lb. bags, then you have a couple of other options. I checked the King Arthur professional website and noted two bakery suppliers that might be able to sell you the KASL in 50-lb. bags. One is Dawn Foods, in Waite Park, MN, and the other is Dutch Valley Food Distributors. I called both companies today and got some general information. Dawn will sell to you directly but you would have to meet a $200 minimum and pay cash. A possible way of getting around this requirement is to have one of Dawn's commercial accounts get the KASL for you. To get a list of possibles, you should call Tim Kuchinka at Dawn and ask him if he can give you the names of a few customers near you who may be able to get the flour on your behalf. I don't have Mr. Kuchinka's direct telephone number, but the Dawn number is 320-252-3265. Sometimes this approach works, sometimes it doesn't. But I think it is worth a try.
Dutch Valley is not physically located in MN, but it has customer accounts in the state. If you call this number, 717-933-4191, and ask to speak with a customer service rep, that individual should be able to tell you which of their accounts is near you. You may be able to get the flour from such an account, or possibly the flour can be shipped to you. Several of our members have dealt with Dutch Valley before, and I don't recall any particular dissatisfaction with them.
Remember that a 50-lb. bag of KASL is not particularly expensive, so being able to get it locally will be very cost effective. It's usually the shipping that is the killer. If you can avoid shipping costs, the 50-lb. bag will equate costwise to only a few 3-lb. bags shipped from Vermont.
If either of the above leads works out for you, please let us know. Maybe there are others in MN who also have an interest in the KASL.
Good luck.
Peter
